Beverly Johnson
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Beverly Johnson | |
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Johnson in 2007.
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Born | Buffalo, New York, U.S. |
October 13, 1952
Nationality | American |
Alma mater | Northeastern University |
Occupation | Model, actress, businesswomen |
Years active | 1970–present |
Known for | First African–American on Vogue cover, 1974. |
Spouse(s) | Billy Potter (m. 1971–74) Danny Sims (m. 1977–79) |
Children | Anansa Sims |
Website | beverlyjohnson |
Modeling information | |
Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) |
Hair color | Dark Brown |
Eye color | Brown |
Measurements | 34–25–35 |
Dress size | 6 |
Beverly Johnson (born October 13, 1952)[1] is an American model, actress, and businesswoman. She rose to fame when she became the first African-American model to appear on the cover of American Vogue in August 1974.[2][3] In 1975, she became the first black woman to appear on the cover of the French edition of Elle.[4] She was the star of the reality series Beverly's Full House on the Oprah Winfrey Network. The New York Times named Johnson one of the 20th century's most influential people in fashion.[5]
Contents
Early life and career
Born into a middle-class family in Buffalo, New York, Johnson was a champion swimmer in her youth and aspired to be a lawyer.[1] She was a criminal justice major at Northeastern University when she tried modeling[6] while on summer break in 1971.[1] She quickly landed an assignment with Glamour and began working steadily.[6] She went on to appear on more than 500 magazine covers, including the August 1974 issue of Vogue, becoming the magazine's first African-American cover model.[1] Her appearance on the cover changed the beauty ideal in US fashion, and by 1975, every major American fashion designer had begun using African-American models.[7]
In addition to modeling, Johnson has also written a book, Beverly Johnson's Guide to a Life of Health and Beauty,[8] and embarked on an acting career.[9] She has also had roles in the films Ashanti (1979), The Meteor Man (1993), Def Jam's How to Be a Player (1997), and Crossroads (2002). She has appeared in guest spots on several television series, including Martin (TV series), Law & Order, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, The Parent 'Hood and the Super Bowl episode of 3rd Rock from the Sun (1998). She served for two seasons as a celebrity judge on the TV Land series She's Got the Look, a reality series, where women over 35 compete for a modeling contract and magazine spread. At the start of the series in 2008, Johnson shared that she and other models had suffered from anorexia and bulimia during her career.[10] She had a brief singing career, releasing one album in 1979 on Buddah Records. Johnson has been a longtime hair and beauty influencer.[11]
Memoir and accusation against Bill Cosby
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In late 2014, she wrote an article for Vanity Fair[12] in which she accused Bill Cosby of drugging her in a meeting at his Manhattan residence in the 1980s, although the incident did not result in a sexual assault. Johnson said that Cosby spiked a cup of cappuccino with an unknown drug. As she felt her "body go completely limp," she realized what was happening. Johnson said she then screamed and cursed at him several times before Cosby got angry and dragged her outside and hailed a cab for her. Johnson decided to tell her story in hopes that "by going public" she would "encourage anyone [who] has been sexually victimized to speak out."[13][14] Her memoir, The Face That Changed It All,which discusses the Cosby incident, was released on August 25, 2015.
Subsequently, Cosby started a defamation law suit against Johnson, alleging that she was lying about the drugging incident and contending that Johnson's story, first told in the Vanity Fair article, had been repeated in numerous interviews. It seeks unspecified damages and an injunction preventing the model from repeating her claims and requests they be removed from Johnson's memoir.[15] A friend of Johnson said, “She expected this to happen. She didn’t seem upset 'with the news', but I think she’s prepared to counter-sue.”[16]
Filmography
Year | Title | Role | Other notes |
---|---|---|---|
1976 | Deadly Hero | ||
Emergency! | TV, 1 episode | ||
1977 | The Baron | ||
1978 | Crisis in Sun Valley | Beverly | Television film |
1979 | Ashanti | Dr. Anansa Linderby | Alternative title: Ashanti, Land of No Mercy |
1980 | The Sky Is Gray | John Lee's Mother | Television film |
1990 | Hunter | Allistar Lang | TV, 1 episode |
1992–1993 | Law & Order | Marcela/Salamotu | TV, 2 episodes |
1993 | Martin | Ms. Trinidad | |
Loaded Weapon 1 | Doris Luger | ||
The Meteor Man | Woman Doctor | ||
The Cover Girl Murders | Michaela | Television film | |
A Perry Mason Mystery: The Case of the Wicked Wives | Jane Marlowe Morrison | Television film | |
1994 | A Brilliant Disguise | Barbara | |
Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman | Mrs. Cox | TV, 2 episodes | |
1995 | The Wayans Bros. | Miss Kita | TV, 1 episode |
Ray Alexander: A Menu for Murder | Alana Durand | Television film | |
1996 | Red Shoe Diaries | Lorri | TV, 1 episode |
Crossworlds | The Queen | ||
The Parent 'Hood | Mrs. Jordon | TV, 1 episode | |
1997 | True Vengeance | Lt. Kada Wilson | Alternative title: Truth or Consequences |
Sabrina, the Teenage Witch | Fashion designer | TV, 1 episode | |
Def Jam's How to Be a Player | Robin | ||
1998 | 3rd Rock from the Sun | Prell | TV, 2 episodes |
54 | Elaine's Patron | ||
2000 | Down 'n Dirty | Sandra Collins | |
2002 | Crossroads | Kit's Mother | |
Red Shoe Diaries 15: Forbidden Zone | Lorri | Segment: The Forbidden Zone | |
2010 | Tyler Perry's Meet The Browns | Kate | 1 episode |
2012 | Beverly's Full House | Herself | TV, 8 episodes |
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Iconic Cover Girls – Coco & Creme
- ↑ Joy Sewing Beverly Johnson's got the right attitude The Houston Chronicle. Retrieved August 23, 2009.
- ↑ Supermodels Encyclopaedia: Beverly Johnson – Fashion Insider.
- ↑ Alicia Diaz Dennis, "Fashion Influential #68: Beverly Johnson", Zimbio, December 11, 2008.
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- ↑ BeverlyJohnson.com
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- ↑ http://edition.cnn.com/2014/12/11/showbiz/celebrity-news-gossip/beverly-johnson-cosby-allegations/index.html
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External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Beverly Johnson. |
- BeverlyJohnson.com
- Beverly Johnson at the Internet Movie Database
- Beverly Johnson at the Fashion Model Directory
- Beverly Johnson on tvland.com
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- Articles with hCards
- Commons category link is defined as the pagename
- 1952 births
- Living people
- American female models
- African-American female models
- American film actresses
- American television actresses
- African-American actresses
- Participants in American reality television series
- Actresses from New York
- People from Buffalo, New York
- Northeastern University alumni
- 20th-century American actresses